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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. shower — to wash
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fall — to drop
  8. vault — a safe
  9. season — of the year
  10. shower — rain
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. season — in sport
  14. fall — the season
  15. suit — in cards
  16. last — finally
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. last — final
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com